For the entire 8 day duration of Operation Pillar of Defense, there was one major geopolitical player who had been largely quiet and certainly absent from the scene: the same player whose unflinching position over the Syria conflict has so far prevented any intervention in the civil war torn country: Russia. The same Russia which has a military base in the Syrian port city of Tarsus, and thus in its own eyes, a very substantial "national interest" role to play in the middle east, one that is certainly opposing that of the US and the pro-NATO forces, a tension that will surely boil to the surface now that war between Iran and Israel is always at most "hours away" depending on who is asked, and which one day will be more than just a war of words. Today, Russia decided that it had kept quiet for too long over the Gaza conflict, with Voice of Russia reporting, courtesy of Al Arabiya, that Russian warships anchored off the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea will be put on military alertness should the conflict in Gaza escalate and brought in proximity, according Russian Navy Command source on Friday....

While it's way too early to say anything conclusively.... preminarily speaking, this is an ISRAELI Win --- not Hamas:

1) There were NO "opening of the gates of Hell" as Hamas and Islamic Jihad promised. All those billions of dollars invested into Hamas over the many years by Iran, Syria, KSA/Qatar and Muslim Brotherhood.... all those Iranian "super-dooper" Al-Qods Forces & IRGC advisors that buil=d state-of-the-art weapons factories, depots, bunkers, Centcom facilities.... plus shitload of advanced Russia weaponry smuggled into the tunnels first during Mubarak reign, then even more so under Morsi.......... WERE FOR NAUGHT.

Aside from that stupd Habad family that failed to heed the IDF warning and go into the stairwell where they would have been protected instead of standing by the window.... There weren't 100's of Jewish casualties that Hamas were hoping for by firing 1300 upgraded Chinese Grads & Fajr-3, Fajr-5 into city centers. There was no economic paralysis or depression. Even under fire Israelis continued on going about their lives in cities; in fact many Israelis were foolishly gawking at the Iron Dome show as if it was a soccer match & partying hardy like the usually do.

2) The more talented Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders like Ahmed Ja'abari and Raed al-Atar were almost totally eliminated. The rest were hiding among children, trembling like rats they are. Big rocket launchers???? Gone. Infrastructure, bank, gas lines, parliament, ministry of Interio & other symbols of Hamas power? Gone. This will take years and more billions of dollars to rebuild to rebuild.

3) Israel didn't lose a SINGLE drone, nevermind a single tank, a helicopter or a jet --- despite dozens of atttempts by Hamas to down one using sophisticated Russian Igla-S, Strela supplied by Iran and smuiggled from Qaddafi's stash in Lybia. Not a single Israeli tank lost -- even thoughb they were parked for days on end right on the Gaza border --- well, within the range of RPG-29, RPG-30, nevemind the ATGM like Kornet, Metis-M or Milan that have an effective range of 5 miles! Normally Hamas has no problem shooting ATGM at Israeli jeep patrols, but this time they were quite as a mouse, ahaha, Hamas totally PUSSIED OUT firing at Israeli tanks even from a safe distance of 5 miles inside Gaza buildings!

4) Iron Dome is a brand new system created by Israel in record short period of time... still lots to improve & modify. There were only 4 batteres in the beginning of this conflict instead of the planned 13-15 needed for full covertage. And they intercepted 90% of the Gaza missiles projected to cause the most damage in city centers, which is one of the reasons Israeli casualties were so low (the dead Habad woman was in a place NOT covered by Iron Dome yet).

5) But it gets even better: the 5th Iron Dome battery had to be rushed through develpment 3 months ahead of schedule because of this conflict. And it intercepted 10 Fajr-5 rockets which is incredible because Iron Dome originally wasn't even designed for intercept of expensive large rockets like Zelzal or Fajr-5. That's a game-changer. There are rumours now that all the countries who were initially skeptical about Iron Dome's feasibility, are now EXTREMELY interested in buying it, including South Korea, Singapur, Colombia, the US of course.

So not only is Iron Dome's cost off-set by American military assistence as well as separate Congressional out-lays ------> once Israel starts selling this system, it will make substantial PROFIT.... which will be reinvested back into the ID program R&D, as well as into ever more advanced SAM systems like Magic Wand and Arrow-3 that initally were delayed because of budget issues. A win-win situation for Israel.

6) Further-more, the ENTIRE Israeli Military Industries benefitted from the surgical operations --- it proved that Israeli weapons work as advertised, not just Iron Dome, but electronic warfare, fancy SIGINT, ELINT equipment; the C-Music system protecting against MANPADS; the Spike NLOS that brilliantly took out 4 Islamic Jihad commanders hiding in the media complex building room without harming the civilians in that building.... the various small drones that were hunting preveiously unreachable Jihadi leadership & sophisticated under-ground rcoket launchers.... etc, etc, etc. Expect BILLIONS of dollars in new contracts for Israeli weapons signed in the next year.... big boost to the economy.

7) For all their never-ending Islamic bluster about how they will defend Gaza from Zionist Aggressor... but Iran and Hezbollah elected to SHUT THE FUCK UP & SIT THE FUCK DOWN. In fact, reportedly Hezbollah were using their operatives in South Lebanon in policing capacity -- lest God forbid, some Palistinian sympathizer fired a Grad rocket from Lebanese soil --- thus inviting Israel to kick some major Hezbollah ass again (an 8:1 ration during 2nd lebanese war in favor of IDF -- and billions of dollars in damage, which even Hassan Nasrallah regretted on TV afterwards...so much for Israel "losing" the war....)

8) Israel managed to make Obama, Hillary Clinton and Mohamma Morsi virtual GUARANTORS of a cease-fire & smuggling tunnel control. So now, neither US nor Egypt can afford to look the other way like they used to -- and risk totally discrediting themselves on the world stage, as well as being blamed for any renewal of violence. As Hillary Clinton alluded today, US in particular, can dangle its billion-dollar aid to Egypt & loan guarantees that Egypt desperately needs in order to feed its almost 90 million population as they run out of currency reserves. It's called LEVERAGE with capital '$' :)

9) Israes does NOT have to open border crossing into OR lift the arms-blockade. Certainly not in the near-future. Thus limiting Iran's ability to rebuild Gaza terror infrastructure as uuickly as they want to.

10) Israel got Islamic Jihad, Hamas AND Iran themselves to admit that Iran WAS the supplier of advanced weaponry & the decision-maker behind attacks on Israeli civilians. I mean, we all knew that, but Iran denied it, and there was no HARD proof. Now there IS proof. That is casus belli ----- thus paving legal & legitimate way for Israel to strike Iran's nuke program & regime in the near future. Thanks Ali Larijani, thanks Khaled Meshaal for your big mouth.

11) Nentanyahu did NOT get boggged down in a (very expensive) Gaza Ground-War Quagmire ----> not only did that preserve Israel's strong High-tech economy.....but it also will preempt the future criticism from his political rivals in the Left-wing that Bibi is a "warmonger". Bibi totally painted Shelley Yachimovich and Social Justice crowd into a corner, consigned them to Election irrelevancy --- just when Obama hoped that the seemingly resurrgent Israeli Labor could win elections and get rid of Obama's nemesis Netanyahu.... Not so fast, Barack Husseinovch, LOL!

12) Israel as a whole looks like REASONABLE country that is open to cease-fire --- as opposed to what Israel's critics & haters wanted to see happen: a Russian Grozny Siego type of carpet-bombing campaign on Gaza which would have opened Israel up to charges of Crimes against Humanirt & led to re-newed B.D.S camaign.

13) Israel got to TEST just how coordinated the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah-Islamic Jihad-Hamas-PRC "Resistance" axis was. Suffice it to say, it was a big letdown for the Axis.

14) Israel was much better at PR than in previous war. Using Youtube and creative new media, Israel supplied ample proof of just how BARBARIC, EVIL and FANATICAL Hamas and other Islamists really are. Even Hamas supporters in the West no longer dare to use the old "oh Hamas builds schools, they are legitimate democratic government, they don't hide behind human shields, blablabla" Bullshit -----> at best, they now prefer to avoid the Hamas topic altogether. That's big -- because in 2008/2009, they were screaming Israel Genocide Hamas aaarrrrhghgghgh!

15) Israel stunned Hamas and Iran with how PRECISE its intelligence was on location of the terror leaders, infrastructure, massive underground weapons depots. Hamas was so shocked, so paranoid they tried to execute random "collaborators" ---- thus making themselves look like idiots & savages for all the world media. Again, even their former supporters in the West aren't as vocal in their defense of Hamas pointless, knee-jerk brutality and massive lies......

16) Bibi can now concentrate on Elections... then on Iran, which as the Saudi King Abdullah said on those classified Wikileaks cables, is the REAL head of the snake.....

17) If rockets don't stop over the next few days/weeks... then IDF will have a legitimate excuse to give an even bigger pounding to Gaza, without it looking like Bibi's "pre-election stunt".

18) Let Hamas clowns celebrate their empty "winning" ala Charlie Sheen. That only further highlights the difference between THEM and US: despite succesful missions, IDF is genuinely regretting the loss of civilian lives on BOTH sides ---- while retarded Jihadists in Gaza are reveling in their own HUMAN SHIELDS babies & women being killed. The world is watching this abomnination and slowly realizing that Hamas are FAR from "noble freedom-fighters" as per Muslim oil-funded propaganda would have them believe....

Um... again... just as Saddam promised the Mother of all Battles.... the Hamas "Gates of Hell" was a big FAIL!!!

Oooops.

Quoting: Ashton's Succelent Volvo 3199014

LMAO...did you see that Aussie? How much time you think he spent on that garbage?

And you're probably not even going to read it. ROFL

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 24783292

Actually it took me about 25 minutes to bang it out.

Hence the myriad spelling mistakes (plus, English is not my native tongue).

np: "The Protocols of the Wenches of Zarathustra" -- Rihanna feat. Auto-tune.

Quoting: Ashton's Succulent volvo 3199014

"5) But it gets even better: the 5th Iron Dome battery had to be rushed through develpment 3 months ahead of schedule because of this conflict. And it intercepted 10 Fajr-5 rockets which is incredible because Iron Dome originally wasn't even designed for intercept of expensive large rockets like Zelzal or Fajr-5. That's a game-changer. There are rumours now that all the countries who were initially skeptical about Iron Dome's feasibility, are now EXTREMELY interested in buying it, including South Korea, Singapur, Colombia, the US of course.

So not only is Iron Dome's cost off-set by American military assistence as well as separate Congressional out-lays ------> once Israel starts selling this system, it will make substantial PROFIT.... which will be reinvested back into the ID program R&D, as well as into ever more advanced SAM systems like Magic Wand and Arrow-3 that initally were delayed because of budget issues. A win-win situation for Israel."

Quick update:

looks like Iron Dome is not going to be the "IT" girl of the moment for long. The aformentioned Magic Wand SAM system a.k.a. 'David's Sling' is coming along fast!

(If only your agerage denizens of the 'People's Republic of Tel-Avivia' cared more about state-of-the-art R&D budget alocation as much as they apparently do about the price of cottage cheese & condos....Israel might have already had both Iron Dome, Magic Wand and Arrow-3 finished....Fools.)

"And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." - Thomas Jefferson, from a Letter to John Taylor written in 1816

"Unfortunately, it is in the nature of man to tinker - even with immutable truth. Thus, we must be ever vigilant... - James Munford

“It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself.” - Francis Bacon

"Better the illusions that exalt us than ten thousand truths" - Aleksander Pushkin*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~I do not give negative Karma. I believe that all opinions are worthy of debate and discussion. Free speech is essential to the growth and advancement of each individual and all of Humankind.

"And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." - Thomas Jefferson, from a Letter to John Taylor written in 1816

"Unfortunately, it is in the nature of man to tinker - even with immutable truth. Thus, we must be ever vigilant... - James Munford

“It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself.” - Francis Bacon

"Better the illusions that exalt us than ten thousand truths" - Aleksander Pushkin*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~I do not give negative Karma. I believe that all opinions are worthy of debate and discussion. Free speech is essential to the growth and advancement of each individual and all of Humankind.

My friend says within 4 weeks. (Being in Israel, he is in the better position to know) I say two.

Quoting: Caliigirl

makes that 12/21/12 thing start to have some traction eh? Not that I'm a saying that will be the case I'm not a believer in that but still...would be something if some dramatic event did happen on that day.